Boat hull construction



Sept. 17, 1940. n; R. STEELE. .JR

BOAT HULL CONSTRUCTION Filed sept. 54o. 1938- IN VENTOR. Siwa ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 17, 1940 I. UNITED s'm'rssk vPi'crelv'r OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to boat hull construction and the embodiment hereillustrated is especially designed and adapted for use in the buildingof smaller craft such as sailing boats,

s power boats, or combinations of both, as employed for pleasurepurposes.

The principal objects of the invention are lightness of constructionwith maximum strength and safety factors, together with low cost,simplicity, and speed of construction, the same being especially adaptedfor use in the union of parts as by welding, or the like.

In the practice of the invention I contemplate the use of light sheetmetal, such as aluminum alloys, steel, or other well known compositionsheet material such as Weldwood or the like.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application,and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the fore and aft bulkhead of a sailboat,constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the interior of a sailboat in which theinvention is employed.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken on thelines as projected from Figures 1 and 2. l

It is to be understood that the material used is as light and thin aspossible consistent with the objects sought, thus the incidental novelcellular arrangement is provided for accomplishing the necessarystrength, together with rigidity of the assembled fabricated structure,which latter is not found in the ordinary wooden hull construction.

The embodiment here illustrated is that of the invention as applied tothe hull of a racing sail boat and wherein I I represent two spaced foreand aft bulkheads shaped to the buttock plane of the boat, theircentermost portion being deeper as at Z so as to form the Opposite sidesof the trunk cabin 3 if desired and may also form the side walls of thecock-pit 4, the quarter berths 5, the transomberths 6, the lockers 1,the toilet locker 8, the hanging space 9, galley drawers, locker, etc.,I0, and the sail bins II, thus forming the desired cellular hull, withbut little additional structure necessary to complete the fullcomplement of compartments for such a vessel.

At I2 I have illustrated in dotted lines a narrow strip along the upperedge of the central deeper portion of each longitudinal bulkhead plate Iwhich in the figures from 3 to 9 inclusive is shown as being bent overforming a fiange to which the deck I3 of the trunk cabin is attached,and at I4, both fore and aft of the trunk cabin, a similar flangedportion of each bulkhead I is provided for the reception of the deck I5of the hull.

At I6 along the major portion of the lower edge of these bulkhead platesthey are flanged normal to the shell for convenience in welding theretoand thus avoid the more diicult acute angle that would result were theplates extended straight down to the skin.

The athwartship sectional bulkheads I1 are welded along their inner edgeand to their respective fore and aft bulkhead upon either side of thehull, and any desired number of longitudinal frame member I8 are weldedto the bulkheads Il, thus completing the frame structure of the boat,and in the larger compartments for example, 5, 6 and II, the skin orOuter shell is shown as reinforced by frame like members illustrated atI9, they being plain flat bars, similar to those illustrated at I8, andwelded along one Of their edges to the shell.

In this construction the usual molds and ribbands are dispensed with, aswell as the ordinary engine foundation if any, but as indicated at 2I,the latter may be attached directly to the fore and aft bulkheads I-I,thereby simplifying the construction; the location of the engine beingindicated at 2| in Figure 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

l. In a ships hull construction, the combination comprising a hullhaving an exterior skin, spaced preformed longitudinal bulkheads, oneupon either side of the longitudinal center of the ship the entirelength thereof and conforming in size and shape to the longitudinalsection of the ship at the plane in which it is placed, spaced preformedtransverse bulkheads extending from the outside of the longitudinalbulkheads to the skin of the ship and secured along their edges theretoand forming therebetween the various compartments of the ship, said1ongitudinal bulkheads having spaced preformed openings thereinproviding access to and forming the entrances to said compartments.

2. In a ships hull construction, the combination comprising a hullhaving an exterior skin, interior compartments, and a centrally disposedtrunk cabin, spaced preformed longitudinal bulkheads forming the hullgirder strength and one wall of all compartments and said trunk cabin,one of said longitudinal bulkheads being positioned upon either side ofthe longitudinal center of the ship the entire length thereof andconforming in size and shape to the longitudinal section of the ship atthe plane in which it is placed, spaced preformed transverse bulkheadssecured along one edge to the outside of the longitudinal bulkheads andextending to the skin of the ship and secured along their outer edgesthereto and forming therebetween the Various interior compartments ofthe ship, said longitudinal bulkheads having spaced preformed openingstherein forming the entrances to Said compartments.

3. In a ships hull construction, the combination comprising a hullhaving an exterior skin and a deck, longitudinal bulkheads, one uponeither side of the longitudinal center of the ship, the entire lengththereof, preformed to conform in size and shape to the longitudinalsection of the ship at the plane in which it is placed and extendingabove the deck, transverse bulkheads extending at spaced intervals fromthe outside of the longitudinal bulkheads to the skin of the ship andsecured along their edges thereto and forming therebetween the Various:below deck compartments of the ship, said deck extending from theoutside of the longitudinal bulkheads over the tops of the transversebulkheads to the skin of said ship.

ROBERT R. STEELE, JR.

